American Woodcock

Scolopax minor

Order CHARADRIIFORMES - Family SCOLOPACIDAE

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A shorebird that lives in forests, the American Woodcock is most frequently encountered at dusk when the male's chirping, peenting aerial displays attract attention. Otherwise the superbly camouflaged bird is difficult to discover on the forest floor where it probes for earthworms.

Cool Facts

• The flexible tip of the American Woodcock's bill is specialized for catching earthworms. The bird probably feels worms as it probes in the ground. A woodcock may rock its body back and forth without moving its head as it slowly walks around, stepping heavily with its front foot. This action may make worms move around in the soil, increasing their detectablity.

• The American Woodcock is one of the few shorebirds that is regularly hunted for sport.

• The male American Woodcock has an elaborate display to attract females. He gives repeated "peents" on the ground, often on remaining patches of snow in the early spring. After a time he flies upward in a wide spiral. As he gets higher, his wings start to twitter. After reaching a height of 70-100 m (230-328 ft) the twittering becomes intermittent, and the bird starts chirping as he starts to descend. He comes down in a zig-zag, diving fashion, chirping as he goes. As he comes near the ground he silently lands, near a female if she is present. Then he starts peenting again.

• The male American Woodcock gives no parental care, but continues to display long after most females have laid eggs. Some males display at several, widely separated singing grounds and will mate with several females. A female may visit four or more singing grounds before nesting, and she may keep visiting even when she is caring for her young.

• Unlike many birds that leave their nests at hatching, newly hatched woodcocks cannot feed themselves. They are dependent on the mother for food for the first week. The chicks start to probe in dirt at three or four days after hatching.

Description

• Size: 25-31 cm (10-12 in)
• Wingspan: 42-48 cm (17-19 in)
• Weight: 116-279 g (4.09-9.85 ounces)

• Plump, with round head.
• No apparent neck.
• Long bill.
• Brown and black concealing pattern.

• Colored in shades of brown, buff, and gray.
• Thick black bars across head.
• Large, black eyes.
• Short, brownish gray legs.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike; females larger.

Immature

Juvenile like adult, but slightly duller.

Similar Species

• Wilson's Snipe similarly built, but has stripes down back and on belly, lacks buffy tones.
• Ruffed Grouse also well camouflaged, but has a short bill and longish tail.

Sound

Silent except for male display and twittering of wings in flight. Display involves wing twittering interspersed with harsh "peents."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from southeastern Manitoba to Newfoundland, southward to eastern Texas and northern Florida.

Winter Range

Winters from Connecticut and southern Missouri to Gulf Coast and Florida.

Habitat

Forests with openings, shrubby areas.

Food

Invertebrates, especially earthworms.

Behavior

Foraging

Probes in dirt and leaf litter for worms.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Shallow depression on ground.

Egg Description

Creamy buff with brown spots concentrated near large end.

Clutch Size

Usually 4 eggs. Range: 1-12.

Condition at Hatching

Downy chicks leave nest soon after hatching.

Conservation Status

May be decreasing in some areas as shrubby areas revert to forest.

Other Names

Bécasse d'Amérique (French)
Timberdoodle (English)

Sources used to construct this page:

Keppie, D. M., and R. M. Whiting, Jr. 1994. American Woodcock (Scolopax minor). In The Birds of North America, No. 100 (A. Poole, and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.